Table Of Content
Sink into refreshed suites and a new lounge, plus dining and entertainment venues. Take in Alaska’s evergreen fjords and thunderous glaciers on this Vista-class Alaska cruise ship. On a cruise to Alaska, live a nature lover's dream in the land where guests can catch postcard-worthy sights. See how bald eagles and local bird populations receive first-class treatment at the Alaska Raptor Center. Or experience the culture of Russian Alaska on a visit to St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, and relive Native history at the Sheldon Jackson Museum.
Hotels
Towering high in the center of the Alaska Range is the Denali, North America’s tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Central to the cultural heritage of the native peoples who have lived here for thousands of years, the giant mountain is the ultimate symbol of the Alaskan wild. Denali National Park remains a wild kingdom, where animals large and small, roam free. View Dall sheep, wolves, caribou, moose and the mighty grizzly bear among many. And come summer, they are joined by more than 160 species of migratory birds. Mary Curry is another T+L A-List advisor who specializes in small-ship cruises to Polar regions and the Galapagos.
Denali National Park & Preserve: Denali (a.k.a. Mount McKinley), Wildlife, Staggering Landscapes and More
The cost of an Alaskan cruise can vary greatly depending on your itinerary, length of trip, cruise line, and a number of other factors. The good news is there are so many options for travelers that you should be able to find a great trip that fits your budget. As you'll see below, an Alaskan cruise can cost under $500 per person for some week long trips.
Self-Guided Land Tour
Complete your UnCruise adventure with our pre- or post-cruise land tour into Denali National Park, the Talkeetna Mountains, and Anchorage. Travel aboard the Alaska Railroad’s deluxe Dome Train, hike in the Talkeetna Mountains, and enjoy presentations on natural history and Alaska Native Culture. Enjoy a roundtrip Alaska cruise from Seattle on Alaskan Explorer itineraries or from Vancouver on Alaskan Inside Passage itineraries. Cross Alaska’s massive ice shelves, crystal fjords, and fascinating marine wildlife off your bucket list with itineraries that conveniently depart from Seattle and Vancouver.
Royal Caribbean also employs a fleet of deluxe motor coaches to travel the interior byways of Alaska. Complete your adventure with the best Alaska tours before or after your cruise. Now that we’ve covered the basics of all things Alaska cruising, keep reading to discover the best Alaska cruises for every type of traveler, featuring expert insight and award-winning picks. Dawn Gabree is a travel advisor who specializes in Alaska cruises at Travels by Danielle. Ashton Palmer is a Seattle-based T+L A-List travel advisor who specializes in expedition cruises.
Along the way, enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on every itinerary – including Glacier Bay National Park, and Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord. Seabourn Odyssey sails both one-way itineraries between Vancouver and Juneau and round-trip itineraries from Vancouver. It visits popular Alaska ports like Ketchikan and Sitka, as well as less-touristed destinations like Wrangell, Prince Rupert (a port city in Canada) and Rudyerd Bay.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska 2024: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The luxury adults-only line is also all-inclusive, covering meals, activities, most beverages, Wi-Fi, port taxes and fees, spa access, and one complimentary excursion in every port of call. Cruisers can bask in the mountain and glacier views from the comfort of their private balcony — and, if they’re lucky, they may even spot a whale or two. Finally, in addition to classic ports like Juneau and Ketchikan, Viking Ocean Cruises’ Alaska itinerary also calls on Valdez, which is chock-full of natural beauty and outdoor adventure. The main cruise season in Alaska is May through September, though many cruise lines are adding shoulder season itineraries in April and October. The sunniest months are July and August and the best time for whale watching is May and June. That being said, traveling anytime during cruise season will offer epic views of landscape and wildlife, no matter where you travel.
Explore Denali National Park on an Alaska land and sea package
Below you can compare cruise itineraries for all ships sailing to Alaska for the next few years. With the Alaskan sailing season only six to seven months long, it’s a good idea to start planning now! Cruisers of all ages will enjoy the scenery, wildlife, and once in a lifetime shore excursions available on many Alaskan cruises. One of the most magical ways to explore Alaska’s expansive coastline, stunning snow-capped mountains, mystic fjords, lush rainforests, awe-inspiring glaciers, and protected wildlife is by sea. And that’s precisely why so many people who visit Alaska do so via a cruise. Plus, it’s the best way to experience the iconic Inside Passage, the most popular route for cruise ships departing from Seattle and Vancouver from May through September.
(Classic cruises, on the other hand, take place on board Silver Muse, Silver Nova, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, or Silver Moon). Nova and Moon offer the Sea and Land Taste program (S.A.L.T), offering culinary connoisseurs the incredible opportunity to experience the local food scene and culture both on and off the ship. Last but not least, keep in mind that Silversea sails between Vancouver and Seward (with the exception of one September 2024 itinerary, which sails from Nome to Vancouver). Travel the Inside Passage on 10 or 11-day Alaska cruises from San Francisco and allow the natural landscapes to inspire your day’s adventures.
When you step off the bus, a handler will place a warm, wiggly husky puppy in your arms. You can ogle the doggy cuteness while learning about Alaska's most famous sled dog race and the training regimens of elite racing dogs. An hour south of Anchorage is Girdwood, home to Alyeska Resort, an award-winning luxury hotel and -- if you can believe it -- Alaska's only ski resort. Here, the mountaintop Seven Glaciers restaurant serves up fine (four diamond-rated) Alaskan cuisine (like mesquite-grilled Alaska salmon and bison rib eye) 2,300 feet above sea level, with views of Turnagain Arm and surrounding glaciers. If you would rather see the city from the comfort of public transportation, then try the trolley tour with Anchorage Trolley Tours that begins and ends at the visitor's center.
As on all Disney Cruise Line sailings around the world, its Alaska cruises feature spacious cabins with split bathrooms; kids clubs for ages three to 17; all meals, including snacks and room service; Broadway-quality stage shows and more. Shore excursions range from adventures like zip lining, hiking and rafting to seaplane exploration, photo safaris and high teas. Adults can enjoy themselves on an Alaskan Disney Cruise, too, with adult-exclusive dining; an adult-only pool and hot tub; fitness center; and Senses Spa & Salon.
One of the most scenic rides is from Seward to Anchorage, along the Turnagain Arm, where snow-capped mountains and rolling hills rise on each side of the bay. One of the biggest surprises about the cruise tour is that certain meals might not be included. Some cruise tour programs don't include meals in the price to give travelers the freedom to try local restaurants of their own choosing.
Those shoulder-season trips are chilly (there’s a good chance you’ll see snow in places and will need to bundle up more), but there are significantly fewer tourists to do battle with during shore excursions. The sun hardly sets, the landscapes (save for the glaciers) are verdant, and the waterways are choked with playful whales getting their fill before winter. Roughly 1.5 million people visit Alaska on a cruise ship each year, according to the Cruise Line International Association Alaska. For those voyagers seeking to sail from Southern California all the way up the Pacific coast to Alaska, try a new 16-day roundtrip Inside Passage voyage from Los Angeles.
Named for the Northern compass point, Noordam is fitting for a cruise to Alaska. Museum-quality art outfits this ship, from oils to photographs of music legends. Nieuw Amsterdam's exceptional onboard experience earned "Best Cruise Ship Overall" at the Travvy Awards. With more than 20 animal sanctuaries and sightseeing excursions, we bring you closer to creatures great and small.
Many of the sailings to Alaska center on the state’s major ports of call, like Juneau and Sitka. There’s nothing wrong with those itineraries, but they do tend to focus more on touristy downtowns and less on the great outdoors. This flexible and unique tour lets you take in some of Alaska’s most iconic highlights in a variety of ways. After your amazing Holland America cruise through the Inside Passage, you’ll pick up an RV and start exploring Alaska. Go back in time to the Klondike Gold Rush on cruises to Skagway, Alaska, once the primary gateway to the goldfields. Sail into the Last Frontier from Seward or Vancouver onboard Radiance of the Seas®.
In these ways, the tours are very unlike an Alaska cruise, where you travel at night and have full days in port, free to choose activities and time meals that best suit you. However, a majority of the activities on a cruise tour are quite good, while others might seem too touristy. Additionally, with the Northwest Passage now open to marine traffic, the northwestern city of Nome is a regular port of call for higher-end, midsize cruise lines to expose passengers to the rural reaches of coastal Alaska. The Aleutian Island city of Unalaska is also on some boutique cruise line itineraries, so check carefully that the region that sparks your interest. We evaluated over a dozen Alaskan cruises before selecting the best in each category.
No comments:
Post a Comment